Cannibalisation happens when several of your pages target the same keyword. Search engines are unsure which to show, and both may rank lower than one strong page would.
Signs
- Rank tracking shows the ranking page switching between two addresses.
- Two pages with almost the same title. The title tag checker and a site audit's duplicate-title list help find them.
Fixes
- Merge the pages into one stronger page and redirect the other with a 301.
- Differentiate them: change one to target a different intent or a more specific keyword.
- Canonical tag: if both must exist, point the weaker one to the main page.
- Internal links: link to the page you want to rank using the keyword as anchor text.
After the fix, watch the ranking page in rank tracking settle on one address.
Not every overlap is a problem
Two pages can rank for some of the same words without harm, especially when they serve different intents, such as a buying guide and a product page. It becomes a problem when both target the same main keyword and neither ranks as well as one strong page would.
A worked example
A site has "AMC plans" and "Water purifier maintenance plans", both explaining the same plans. Rank tracking shows the ranking page for "water purifier amc" switching between them every few days. The fix: merge the content into one page, redirect the other with a 301, and update internal links to the remaining page.
Prevent it
- Keep a list of which page targets which keyword.
- Search your own site before writing a new page on a familiar topic.
- When in doubt, improve the existing page instead of adding a new one.
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